Milk calipers



Dec. 28,1926. Y' 1,612,027

A. JOSLEN MILK CALIPERS 'Filed Jan. 15, 1924 g 4f l; 6 c g/ -5 9b w\ :i 74 W f` CQ@ 2 546, 5'

5 l Q 4 y Patented Dec. Z8, i925..

Y invitan stares tric s,

ALONZO J'OSLEN, GF LJOMONA, CALIFORNA, ASSEGNDB OF ONE-HALF TO W. .ANHALT COOK, 0F ROMONA, CALIFORNIA. Y

MILE?. CAIJPERS.

Application filed January 15, 1924,

My present invention being referred to as milk calipers, it may be understood to be an object of this invention to provi-de a pair of calipers suitably modified to facilitate the use of the same in the determination of the fat content of milk, cream, r the like. It is an ,object of this invention to provide an improved type of milk calipers provided with means to facilitate the application thereof to the graduated neck of a bottle such as is currently used in the execution of the Babcock test, or the like; and a preferred embodiment of my invention may comprise a pair of lcaliper legs, one or both of which may be provided with a finger or fingers, secured to the outer surface of a caliper leg in such manner as to aid in the adjustment and retention of a pair of calipers in an intended relationship to the graduated neck of a bottle.

It being well known that in the execution of a test for butter fat in milk, or in the eX- ecution of a similar test upon cream or upon skim milk, or the like, the length of the column of butter fat, produced by centrifuging under standard conditions, is customarily measured by the use of a pair of calipers (which are iirst adjusted with their respective points opposite the upper meniscus and the lower nieuiscus of a column of fat and then transferred to a position bringing one leg opposite the zero rea-ding of the graduated scale), it is an object of my present invention to provide means tending to lguide a pair of calipers into suitable Contact with a graduated bottle neck or stem, without obscuring` or hindering the subsequent reading of the scale referred to; and, in a preferred embodiment of my invention I may employ a finger or fingers divergent from a leg or legs of a pair of calipers to such degree that the points of the said calipers shall Contact with a graduated neck in such manner that the axis thereof shall not lie in the plane of relative movement of the legs of said calipers.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following description of preferred and Aalternative embodiments thereof, and from the appended claims, taken in connectionV with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is an elevational view showing a pair of my improved milk calipers as ap- Serial No. 685.258.

being shown in section.

Fig. 4: may be regarded as an elevational view of a pair of calipers of either the type shown .in Fig. l or the type shown in Figs1 2 and 3, showing the appearance of the same when approximately closed.

Referring to details of that specific einbodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 1, l

is a test bottle Whose neck 2 is provided with graduations 3. C is a pair of calipers comprising legs 1l, ll shown as pivoted together at 5, and as provided with usual points 6, 6 suitable for use in determinating the actual length of a column of fat or the like, by application to the graduated neck of a Babcock test bottle.

Coming now to the strictly novel features of my invention, in order to facilitate and guide the application of a pair of calipers to a graduated neck, l may provide each of the legs e, e with a guide finger 7, 7', rigidly secured thereto. These fingers are preferably secured to the back or outer surfaces ofV the respective legs, and arched or curved in the manner suggested in Fig. 1, each of the mentioned fingers being preferably divergent from the plane of relative movement of the legs e, 4 to such an extent that, when a pair of calipers is applied, by a lateral move-v ment, to the side of a graduated neck, the points 6, 6 may move approximately, in a plane extending through the axis of the said neck,-the accurate adjustment. of the calipers, and the reading of a scale upon which they may be re-adjusted to Zero, being facilitated bythe retention of the points 6, 6 in the slightly offset relationship referred to.

Although advantageous results may be obtained by the use of a single guide finger of the character' described, and by the use of such a guide finger upon only one of the legs 1l, 4, l consider it advantageous to provide not merely a single guide finger but a pair of guide fingers upon each of the said legs, the prete red construction here referred to being illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and lt will be obvious that when guide fingers, or

their equivalent, are provided upon both of the legs of a pair oil calipers, they may be very promptly brought into a desired relationship to a graduated neck even by an unsteady hand, and that they may be substantially self-retaining thereon. By the use ot suitable pairs oi divergent fingers, ot' a character disclosed, and especially by )rmfiding each ot the mentioned fingers with the overarch curvature, best shown in Figs. i, Q and 4 (the central portion ot' the over-arch being, however. substantiallv straight and in i plane substantially parallel with the anis of the leg to which it is secured) l may moreover adapt my calipers to use upon ne yrs et various diameters, gaining all oit the acvantages above referred to without obscuLv g, to a disadvantageous extent. the nations upon a bottle neck; and, by rencA y respective fingers Sa and 8b et each pair un equally divergent from the plane otrelative,

' movement of the legs 4i, 4. to which the said ythose of the other fingers are permanently secured.` l may cause the caliper points G, 6 automaticalli;v to contact in a line slightly offsetrelativcly to the axis of aV bottle neck, in manner alreadv ture may be imparted to the respective guide fingers upon a leg l or 4l, l consider it advantageous to curve or bend the outer ends of the fingers of each leg towards the corresponding ends ot the lingers ot the opposite leg in such manner that, upon the clown of the pair of. calipers, the cnds of therespective fingers of one leg may be opposed to leg, thereby alter-ding them mutual protection.

By rebending the ends of the guide f inwardly towards the axes of their 1 ctive legs, it will be appreciated that when the legs d, d ot the calipers are greatly separated, that is, in taking a` large re ding, the ends of the guide fingers will always be able to contact with the neck 2 et the bottle 1. It the ends ot the guide lineare are constructed so as to remain straig t when the calipers are taking a large reading, th points of the calipers will contact with the bottle, whereas the ends oi the guide finge "i will hardly engage it. For this reason the ends of the guide fingers are rebent so that rev'ardless of the reading taken by the calipers, the guide fingers will always the neck of the bottle.

By the back ot the leg claims, I mean the side of tie from the opposite leg when the closed position. f

Although l have herein described a preferred embodiment and alluded. to alternaused in the leg remote legs are in guide lingers extending beyond the pointed f' ends otl said legs.

2. A milk calipers comprising a pair of piveted pointed legs, a pair of.l divergent guide fingers secured to the back of each leg at a distance from the point ot the leg to n which the fingers are secured, the guide fingers oi: each pair being divergent with respect to each other and extending forwardly beyond the pointed end et the leg on which they are secured so as to expose the pointed end et' the leg therebetween.

A milk calipers comprising a pair ot pivotcd pointed legs, and a pair of guide Vlingers secured to each leg, each pair of guide fingers being secured to the back of its respective leg and extending outwardly and tor fardly there-frein beyond the pointed end of the leg, said lingers diverging forwardly with respect to the axis of the leg.

l. fr milk calipers comprising pair of prot-ed, pointed legs, and a pair oi guide lingers secured to each leg, each pair ot guide fingers being secured to the back of its respective leg and extending outwardly and oiuvaicllj,7 therefrom beyond the pointed end ot' the leg, said fingers diverging 'forwardly with respect to the axis ot the leg, the ends ot' the fingers of each leg being bent toward the corresponding fingers on the other leg and for the purpose described.

5. A. milk calipers comprising a pair ott pivoted legs, and a guide linger secured to the back ot each leg and extending outwardly and forwardly therefrom beyond the end ot' the leg, said guide fingers being oblique to the axes et their respective legs and being opposed to each other, the forward ends ot' the 'lingers of cach leg` being bent toward the of the other leg as and for the purpose described.

6. A milk calipers comprising pair ot legs, and a pair of guide fingers secured to each oit said legs and extending from the outer sides thereof, the fingers ot euch leg being curved er bent toward the corresponding fingers on the other leg.

in testimony whereof l have signed .my name to this specification.

llO 

